First Peoples Advisory

First Peoples’ living cultures, histories and knowledge are central to all Museums Victoria’s practices and experiences. As an organisation, we engage with rich and diverse perspectives, experiences and stories. We celebrate the world’s oldest living cultures and strive to put First Peoples’ voices at the forefront of everything we do.

Museums Victoria is committed to being a world-leader in collaborating with Australian and International First Peoples, and we are proud of our strong advisory practice and community consultation framework. Sitting under our First Peoples department, we engage with four key advisory groups, which all play a vital role in guiding our daily decision making, governance, collections management, exhibitions and public programs.

Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Advisory Committee

The Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Advisory Committee (ACHAC) has provided advice to Museums Victoria, and advocated for the protection and continuation of cultural heritage material and knowledge of South-Eastern Australia, since 1985 – initially as an advisory group to the Indigenous Collections and later as a sub-committee of the Museums Board of Victoria. Over the decades, there have been more than 300 members ACHAC who have brought their knowledge and expertise of Aboriginal cultural heritage to Museums Victoria. ACHAC and its members continue to play a vital and leading role in the direction of Museums Victoria’s policies and procedures in regards to First Peoples Collections.

Yulendj

Yulendj was established in early 2012, out of the Bunjilaka Community Reference Group, to develop and co-curate the First Peoples exhibition at Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre. Yulendj is a Kulin word for 'knowledge and intelligence' and it is the name that members of the Reference Group chose to describe their role in the First Peoples exhibition. Yulendj comprises a group of respected community members and Elders from across Victoria. They generously shared their knowledge and experience to shape this exhibition into one that represents the diversity, history and pride of Koorie peoples. Yulendj was reformed in 2018 to support Museums Victoria’s strategic objective to place First Peoples’ living cultures, histories and knowledge at the core of Museums Victoria’s practice.

Te Pasifika

Community Leaders Advisory Group

The Te Pasifika Gallery Redevelopment project places community voices, experiences and authority at the centre of the new Te Pasifika Gallery. The Redevelopment project has seen a need for a Community Leaders Advisory Group (CLAG) in order to advise, guide and, where relevant, approve aspects of content development, objects and cultural protocols for the new exhibition, as well as to facilitate links between Museum Victoria and the Victorian Pacific Community. CLAG is made up of elders, cultural knowledge holders and leaders in the Victorian Pacific Community.

Te Pasifika Exhibition Advisory Group

Made up of leading academics, museum professionals, community engagement professionals, performers and youth from across the Pacific, the Te Pasifika Exhibition Advisory Group (TPEAG) was established in early 2019 to advise on the Te Pasifika Gallery Redevelopment Project. The members are experts, leaders and cultural knowledge holders with specialist knowledge, particularly relevant to exhibition development. They provide the Redevelopment team with ongoing advice regarding content for exhibitions and programs, cultural protocols, permissions, and connections for broader community engagement.